In just over three weeks, New Mexico State will play its season opener against Southeast Missouri State on August 31, starting a new era under new coach Tony Sanchez.
The Aggies’ schedule is largely similar to last year, with an FCS team and a Conference USA contender to start, a game against Fresno State in a rematch of last season’s New Mexico Bowl, and a visit to an SEC opponent. NM State will also have the same conference slate as it will in 2023, as it will not play new CUSA member Kennesaw State this season.
Despite the similarities, there are still games to watch this season. Here are the top 5 New Mexico State football games to watch in 2024:
against Liberty, September 7
The team that stood in NM State’s way of winning the CUSA championship last season was Liberty, and that will likely be the case again this season.
The Fiesta Bowl runners-up beat the Aggies twice last season, including a 49-35 loss in the CUSA Championship Game, and were picked No. 1 in the CUSA preseason media poll for 2024. There was good reason for that, as the Flames returned the reigning CUSA MVP, redshirt junior quarterback Kaidon Slater, and the 2023 CUSA Newcomer of the Year, senior running back Quinton Cooley.
On defense, junior safety Brylan Green leads a unit that led the nation with 21 interceptions last season. Coach Jamey Caldwell enters his second season at Liberty after being named CUSA Assistant Coach of the Year last season.
After four consecutive meetings in Lynchburg, the Flames will visit Las Cruces this year. If NM State wants to win its first conference title since 1978, it will likely have to defeat a strong Liberty team.
vs. Western Kentucky, November 9
Like Liberty, Western Kentucky is also predicted to have a strong season under six-year coach Tyson Helton. The Hilltoppers were picked to finish second in the CUSA preseason poll and received the two remaining first-place votes.
Redshirt sophomore Caden Veltkamp and Texas State transfer TJ Findley are competing for WKU’s starting quarterback job. Whoever starts will lead an offense that will rely on senior running back Elijah Young and senior wide receiver Dalvin Smith.
WKU returns seven defensive linemen, with senior cornerback Anthony Johnson leading a unit that finished in the top 15 nationally in turnovers last season. The Hilltoppers have also added defensive backs, including former NM State defensive tackle Gabriel Iniguez.
Liberty and WKU are the two main contenders for the CUSA crown. Luckily for NM State, both are playing at home this season.
at Jacksonville State, Oct. 9
The Gamecocks had one of the best FBS debuts in history last season, finishing 9-4 with a New Orleans Bowl win over Louisiana. JSU coach Rich Rodriguez enters his third season looking to add to his 181 career wins, 18 of which came in Jacksonville.
Two transfers, junior Zion Turner from UConn and senior Tyler Huff from Furman, will compete for the spot as JSU’s starting quarterback. Other transfers such as former Georgia running back Andrew Paul and former Clemson wide receiver Brannon Spector are expected to fill the gaps left by six offensive starters last season.
The Gamecocks have only three starters on defense, one of them being junior safety Fred Perry, who allowed just a 2.0 QBR on offense last season.
The move did not seem to sway opinion of JSU, which was ranked No. 3 in the CUSA preseason poll. NM State will visit Jacksonville for the first time when it plays the Gamecocks this season.
at Texas A&M, November 16
The Aggies will visit an SEC team for the fourth consecutive year in late November and will look to shock the nation again after defeating Auburn 31-10 at Jordan-Hare Stadium last season.
Texas A&M is in a transition period after firing former coach Jimbo Fisher with a $75 million severance package, by far the largest in college football history. 2022 ACC Coach of the Year Mike Elko replaces him after compiling a 16-9 record in two seasons at Duke from 2022-23.
Conner Weigman returns at quarterback after missing eight games last season due to injury, and returning wide receivers Noah Thomas and Moose Muhammad and running backs Le’Veon Moss and Rueben Owens will help him. A&M lost several key defensive players last season, but Purdue junior transfer Nic Scourton, senior defensive tackle Shemar Turner and senior cornerback Tyreek Chappell all should pose problems.
The two Aggie teams have only met once before, when NM State suffered a 56-10 loss in 2016. Can NM State pull off another upset?
against New Mexico, September 28
The game against the Aggies’ biggest rivalry is undoubtedly one to watch and this season they host the 113th edition of the Rio Grande Rivalry.
Things have not been easy for the Lobos recently, suffering seven consecutive losing seasons. UNM’s 4-8 2023 season ended with the departure of former coach Danny Gonzales and the arrival of new coach Bronco Mendenhall, who returned as coach after leading Virginia to a 36-38 record from 2016-2021 and an appearance in the 2019 Orange Bowl.
Sophomore quarterback Devon Dampier is expected to be UNM’s starter, and junior Caleb Medford returns as its top wide receiver. The Lobos’ secondary, led by redshirt senior cornerback Tavian Combs and junior safety and San Diego State transfer Noah Avinger, will likely be their strongest link on defense.
UNM holds a comfortable 73-35-5 lead in the series over NM State, but the Aggies are 4-3 in their last seven meetings. They will look to make it three straight wins against their in-state rival for the first time since 2009-11.
